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Advanced Switching Power Converters: Topologies, Control, and Devices

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "F: Electrical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 2867

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Dipartimento Energia “Galileo Ferraris”, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Interests: power electronics switching DC-DC converters; advanced power devices characterization, modelling and applications; power converters for electric vehicles and storage systems; LED lamps and driving converters; electrical machine and drives applications; air pollution and EMI; inverters topologies and applicationsair pollution and EMI; inverters topologies and applications
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, a strong demand for power converters with improved performance, such as low energy consumption and a reduced size, has arisen. Emerging applications, such as e-mobility (traction inverters, DC-DC onboard chargers, DC-DC battery converters, etc.), data center power management (UPS and bus converters), variable speed drives, LV/HV converter interfaces for smart grids, and energy sources’ conversion (renewable switching power converter interfaces and battery storage converters) drive this improvement scenario. Efficiency and power density are crucial parameters that must be managed in advanced power converter applications.  For example, the improvements in these key parameters are used to increase the vehicle’s autonomy and optimize the volume of portable devices. In PV applications, the recent device technologies led to a DC-DC boost converter with an efficiency above 99 % and a power density of up to 50 kW/dm. The power converter's efficiency and power density are related to the following three main factors:

  1. The converter’s topology;
  2. The system control methodology;
  3. The technology used in the power electronic devices.

Recently, multilevel and multicell converters have been developed for application in various fields. These topologies’ solutions require innovative control techniques to optimize the level and the quality of the output waveforms. Furthermore, the technologies used in the power switches are strongly involved in improving the power converters. However, with the increase in cells and converter level, the complexity of gate circuits increases.

New opportunities to increase efficiency and power density have emerged with the development of WBG power semiconductor devices. This is driven by the fundamental differences in the material properties of Si and semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).

This Special Issue will focus on advanced solutions of switching power converters in the strategic fields of emerging power electronics’ applications in technological growth. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • A new switching converter topology for power electronic applications;
  • The control and optimization of switching converter circuits;
  • Innovative power devices in switching converter applications;
  • An advanced DC-DC converter for power supply applications;
  • A switching converter in smart grid applications and energy transmission systems;
  • Advanced DC-DC converters for energy storage systems;
  • Switching converters in automotive and traction systems;
  • Advanced switching converters for renewable energy conversion;
  • An advanced gate circuit for multilevel and multicell power converters.

Dr. Salvatore Musumeci
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • switching converters
  • DC-DC converters
  • energy storage
  • power supply
  • multilevel converters

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 8627 KiB  
Article
Investigation of Dead Time Losses in Inverter Switching Leg Operation: GaN FET vs. MOSFET Comparison
by Vincenzo Barba, Salvatore Musumeci, Fausto Stella, Fabio Mandrile and Marco Palma
Energies 2024, 17(15), 3855; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17153855 - 5 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1593
Abstract
This paper investigates the commutation transients of MOSFET and GaN FET devices in motor drive applications during hard-switching and soft-switching commutations at dead time operation. This study compares the switching behaviors of MOSFETs and GaN FETs, focusing on their performance during dead time [...] Read more.
This paper investigates the commutation transients of MOSFET and GaN FET devices in motor drive applications during hard-switching and soft-switching commutations at dead time operation. This study compares the switching behaviors of MOSFETs and GaN FETs, focusing on their performance during dead time in inverter legs for voltage source inverters. Experimental tests at various phase current levels reveal distinct switching characteristics and energy dissipation patterns. A validated simulation model estimates the experimental energy exchanged and dissipated during switching transients. The results demonstrate that GaN FETs exhibit lower overall losses at shorter dead times compared to MOSFETs, despite higher reverse conduction voltage drops. The study provides a quantitative framework for selecting optimal dead times to minimize energy losses, enhancing the efficiency of GaN FET-based inverters in low-voltage motor drive applications. Finally, a dead time optimization strategy is proposed and described. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Switching Power Converters: Topologies, Control, and Devices)
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14 pages, 7352 KiB  
Article
A Hybrid Beat Frequency Oscillation Suppression Strategy for DC Microgrids
by Haoge Xu and Zhengyu Lin
Energies 2024, 17(14), 3513; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17143513 - 17 Jul 2024
Viewed by 853
Abstract
In DC microgrids, parallel-connected power converters are commonly used to integrate distributed energy sources. However, interactions of power switching noises among these power converters could lead to large low-frequency beat frequency oscillations under certain conditions, which degrades system performance and reliability, especially for [...] Read more.
In DC microgrids, parallel-connected power converters are commonly used to integrate distributed energy sources. However, interactions of power switching noises among these power converters could lead to large low-frequency beat frequency oscillations under certain conditions, which degrades system performance and reliability, especially for DC microgrids with parallel connected Boost converters. In this research, the output impedance model for multiple parallel-connected Boost converters is developed for beat frequency oscillation analysis, and then a hybrid method is proposed to address this issue. The proposed method includes separated switching frequency channels and additional line inductors. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Switching Power Converters: Topologies, Control, and Devices)
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